Begich Supports Hiring Veterans, Providing Job Training

To assist our unemployed veterans and support Alaska’s small businesses, U.S. Sen. Mark Begich today supported Senate passage of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act to provide tax credits to employers who hire unemployed veterans and specialized job training for returning veterans.

Sen. Begich was an original cosponsor of the bill, which passed by a vote of 94-1 as an amendment then, minutes later, was approved unanimously as part of a larger bill.

“Fully honoring our commitment to our veterans means both while they are serving abroad and when they return home – and putting our veterans back to work is a critical part of that promise,” Begich said. “Helping small businesses hire unemployed veterans is just common sense. It eases our veterans’ transition back to civilian life, helps our small businesses, and grows our economy.”

Alaska is home to 76, 500 veterans and nearly 28,000 active duty and reserve service members. A quarter-million post-9/11 veterans are currently unemployed and the most recent data shows Alaska experiencing a 9.2% unemployment rate among veterans.

Provisions of the VOW to Hire Act include:

· Tax credit of up to $5,600 for hiring veterans who have been looking for a job for more than six months;

· Tax credit of $2,400 credit for hiring veterans who are unemployed for more than four weeks, but less than six months;

· Makes the Transition Assistance Program mandatory for service members moving to civilian life. The program provides resume writing workshops and career counseling;

· Allows service members to begin the federal employment process prior to separation;

· Expands education and training opportunities for older veterans by providing an additional year of Montgomery GI benefits for community college or technical schools.

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Sen. Begich yesterday called on the U.S. Senate to honor our veterans by passing the VOW to Hire Heroes Act. During his remarks on the Senate floor he recounted the service of the Alaska Territorial Guard, shared stories of Alaska veterans and the health care challenges they face, and thanked Alaska’s Arctic Warriors for their service.